A microscope that has quartz lenses and slides and uses ultraviolet (UV) radiation as the illumination. The use of shorter wavelengths than the visible range enables the instrument to resolve smaller objects and to provide greater magnification than the normal optical microscope. Also, greater contrast can be achieved in some cases where there is differential absorption of UV light by different parts of the specimen. Digital imaging means that the final image can be viewed directly through the eyepieces or recorded electronically.